


Bedside

by mothercetrion



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Hospitals, Light Angst, M/M, Near Death, Serious Injuries, tumblr requests
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-06
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-23 15:20:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19704088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothercetrion/pseuds/mothercetrion
Summary: When Kuai Liang reunites with a younger Scorpion, he knows something is wrong.





	Bedside

**Author's Note:**

> warning: descriptions of severe injuries, near-death experiences on Hanzo's end but no one dies i swear

A casual walk through the Fire Gardens quickly turned into chaos when Scorpion teleported in the middle of the Gardens.

Kuai Liang was immediately confused. He knew that he had left Hanzo in the Netherrealm to ask Kharon for his ship during the fight against Kronika. He promised his return. Why was Scorpion there?

In a flash, Scorpion was in front of him and Liu Kang. He knew who they were upon sight and was quick to rush up to them. Liu Kang was quick to question his arrival, and Kuai Liang quickly followed up with the whereabouts of Hanzo. Did he see him in the Netherrealm? Did they battle? Did he kill Hanzo?

Scorpion was quick to gesture behind him, supposedly towards his previous location. “You must return with me to the Netherrealm.”

“Why would we ever go with you, Scorpion?” Liu Kang asked coldly.

“It is Grandmaster Hasashi. He needs urgent assistance.”

Raiden appeared behind Liu Kang and Kuai Liang then, immediately questioning the situation before him with a tilt of his head. “What happened to Hanzo?” Kuai Liang asked. He hoped that his worry was hidden away by his voice.

“D’Vorah appeared in the Netherrealm after we battled. He has been poisoned. He is dying.”

Kuai Liang felt his heart stop in his chest. He could not believe his ears.

Hanzo? Dying? No. Impossible. He couldn’t be dying… There was no way.

The three of them were quick to come up with a plan of action. Kuai Liang, Liu Kang, and Scorpion would travel back to the Netherrealm to assist Hanzo as much as they could. Raiden would call upon Cassie Cage to summon the Special Forces to transport him to their hospital for further treatment. Raiden was quick to transport away, and Scorpion transported Liu Kang and Kuai Liang to the Netherrealm.

Kuai Liang immediately saw Hanzo and sprinted off, ignoring Liu Kang’s call to give him space.

He fell to his knees on the ground and hovered his hands over his body. Upon hearing him hit the ground, Hanzo’s fogged eyes looked over to him, and a small smile filled his face. His skin was deadly pale due to the poison, and his body was pierced on the sides, his wounds round and oozing blood. It was clear that D’Vorah’s ovipositors were the cause of his injury.

“Kuai Liang… You are here,” he said weakly.

Kuai Liang reached forward and grabbed one of his hands. “Of course I am here. Scorpion summoned me at your temple.”

“I told him of my clan… of how their hearts make them warriors.” Hanzo squeezed his eyes closed as a cough pushed itself out of his body, shaking his entire body with its force. Kuai Liang leaned back a little to give him space, and he frowned deeply at how harsh his coughs sounded. Once his coughs subsided, Kuai Liang used his other hand to envelope Hanzo’s hand in a firm grip. Hanzo looked over to him once he caught his breath. “I believe he is changed. He will fight on our side against Kronika.”

“That’s good. He will be useful.” Kuai Liang smiled back at him. “We are getting the Special Forces team over here to help you. They will get you feeling better.”

Hanzo shook his head. “I feel myself weakening, Kuai Liang… My time is near.”

“Don’t you dare say that.” Kuai Liang squeezed his hand, and his vision went blurry with tears. “You are not going to die, Hanzo. I will not allow it.”

“Kuai Liang, please.” Hanzo looked deep into his eyes and lifted his other hand, the hand shaking as he gripped Kuai Liang’s hands. His eyes fell closed. “You know that… that D’Vorah’s poisons oftentimes accomplish their goals. That bug wins often.”

“She will _lose_. I will not let her win.” Kuai Liang reached forward a hand and cupped Hanzo’s cheek, his thumb tracing the skin beneath his eye. “Stay with me… Keep your eyes open.”

Hanzo’s eyes opened instantly and looked back over to him, sparkling. “Kuai Liang… I love you. You—You have changed me. I am a new man because of you.”

“Don’t make dying confessions, Hanzo!” Kuai Liang blinked and ignored the tears that fell down his face. “You are not dying… Your confession is pointless. You can tell me every day after this.”

Hanzo sighed heavily, his grip slacking on Kuai Liang’s hand. His eyelids fluttered with exhaustion. “You dream… You dream large, Kuai Liang. Don’t lose that.”

Kuai Liang heard a commotion behind him, and he heard Cassie’s voice as she made some commands to the people she brought with her to the Netherrealm. “Hanzo, you need to stay awake… Dammit, Hanzo! Stay awake!”

Special Forces medics surrounded them then. They said commands quickly to one another and inspected Hanzo’s wounds, looked at his eyes with a flashlight and asked him questions. Kuai Liang felt a hand on his shoulder, and he rose to his feet and turned to see Johnny behind him. He still carried his crutch, but he was patched up better than before and standing up more easily. He looked upset.

“We need to get to the base,” he said, keeping his hand on his shoulder. “We’ll meet these guys and figure out everything there.”

When Kuai Liang didn’t move, he gently tugged on his shoulder. “They’re gonna help him. You can trust them. It’ll be okay. I promise.”

Kuai Liang didn’t speak, but he followed Johnny through the portal to leave the Netherrealm. In a flash, they were back in the Fire Gardens. Kuai Liang stepped away from Johnny, his back to him. His hands trembled as he fought back fresh tears.

He could only imagine Hanzo being dead. He was scared. What would the Shirai Ryu do without him? What would _he_ do without him?

Johnny stepped up next to him and sighed deeply. “He’s gonna be okay, you know.”

Kuai Liang shook his head. “What if he isn’t, Cage? What if he… What if he dies?”

Johnny stepped around to his front then, and the pair made eye contact. “He won’t. He’s too strong and been through too much shit to be taken out by a giant bug.”

Kuai Liang glanced to the side and wiped his eyes. “But—”

“But nothing. Those guys are experts in what they do. They’ll heal him up before we know it.” Johnny reached forward and put a hand on his shoulder. “He’s gonna make it. I promise.”

Kuai Liang stared at him a few extra seconds before a sob formed in his throat, and he swallowed thickly, failing to keep it at bay. Johnny noticed and stepped forward, and the two quickly embraced one another in a rare hug. Kuai Liang sighed wetly and rested his chin on his shoulder, taking in Johnny’s comforting touch.

“I’m scared, Cage.”

“I know… Me too.”

* * *

Minutes ticked by like days as they waited to hear back from a medic at the Special Forces.

Kuai Liang sat in a chair outside the medical unit of the base, staring down at his shoes. He hadn’t spoken to anyone since his and Johnny’s arrival to the base shortly after Hanzo was transported there. Johnny kept asking around in hopes of finding out something new about his condition, his status, _anything_ new. But his search ended in nothing, and it had done so for the past three hours. Cassie sat next to Kuai Liang and played games on her phone to pass the time. She confirmed that he was there, but that was all she knew about him.

Soon enough, a Special Forces medic was basically dragged over to the area by Johnny. Kuai Liang rose to his feet in a flash. “How is he?” Cassie asked behind him.

“He’s alive. We… We almost lost him, but we removed all of the poison and fixed his wounds. He’s in the fourth room on the right, but—”

Kuai Liang didn’t even bother listening to the rest of his sentence. He hurried through the doors of the medical unit and ran up to the fourth room on the right, reading the medical information posted on the outside of the door. After a quick read, he learned that he was in serious condition, and Kuai Liang felt his heart stop. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Hanzo was unconscious on the bed. Hooked to a variety of machines and on oxygen, he had only some of his color back and an uncomfortable expression on his face. His torso was wrapped up in bandages, stained with his blood.

Kuai Liang stepped further into the room, his hands shaking, and he grabbed a chair from along the wall and pulled it up next to the bed. He sat himself down and looked at Hanzo with furrowed brows. He reached a hand over and gently grasped Hanzo’s hand, squeezed it gently. He wondered if Hanzo could feel it.

He heard the door open followed by footsteps, but he didn’t look away from the bed.

“You didn’t let me finish,” the medic said lightly. He stepped fully into view on the other side of the bed and began checking Hanzo’s vitals. “He went into surgery the moment he arrived. But we repaired his wounds and closed him up, and he is doing much better than he was when he arrived.”

When Kuai Liang didn’t reply, the medic chuckled quietly. “You need not worry so much. He will recover. He will be back to normal before you know it.”

“Will he be full strength?”

“Absolutely. He just needs to take it easy so his body can heal. It was severely damaged by D’Vorah’s poison and her ovipositors, but he was previously healthy, so he will heal quickly if he allows himself to.” The medic administered a dose of medicine into his IV. “You will have to help us with that. He will listen to you.”

The medic left then, leaving Kuai Liang alone with Hanzo.

He stared at the bed and sighed tiredly. He was relieved to see him there, to see him alive, but… his mind still raced with worry. What if he never woke up? What if his body didn’t heal correctly? What if he could never fight again?

The worst of possibilities were all that filled his mind.

Kuai Liang sat in that uncomfortable chair for hours. Medics came and went, and all of them tried to convince him to go home. He refused to leave, not until Hanzo was awake or, bare minimum, more responsive. Despite the exhaustion that tugged at his eyelids and weighed on his body, he remained awake, still as a statue, and patient… outwardly so.

It was close to midnight when he finally felt a movement from the bed. His fingers twitched, the smallest of twitches. To most people, it would be unnoticed. But Kuai Liang, who had heightened senses from his time in the Lin Kuei and an extra level of focus on the love of his life, could feel it instantly.

He sat up in his chair so quickly he nearly fell out. He squeezed the hand, hoping to stir some sort of reaction. When he felt a weak squeeze in return, he felt as though his heart would burst.

It took a few minutes, but Hanzo’s eyes eventually opened. They looked at the ceiling as he regained consciousness fully, and then he noticed his hand was being held and looked up. He smiled softly and squeezed the hand again. “Oh, Kuai Liang… How are you?”

Kuai Liang scoffed. “Do not ask about me.” He released his hand and traced it along his arm, ignoring the tears in his eyes. “How do you feel?”

“Better than I previously remember.” He sat up a little more in bed, grimacing. “Sore, obviously, but… better.” He looked to Kuai Liang, frowning. “Am I healed? I remember so little after the Special Forces arrived.”

“You were transported here, and had surgery, and… and that covers it.” Kuai Liang laughed nervously, and he tried to blink his tears away, but they remained. “That was a while ago.”

Hanzo tilted his head slightly. “Please don’t tell me you have been sitting here all this time… It’s late, isn’t it? It’s dark out.” He glanced at the clock on the wall in front of the bed. “Heavens, it _is_ late. You needn’t be here.”

“I would not leave you here, not in your condition.” Kuai Liang took in a deep breath to keep himself composed. “I must admit, I… I have been very concerned, Hanzo. You being injured made me realize how deeply I care about your safety, and…” He stopped completely, and he felt his eyes form fresh tears. “I am so grateful that you’re alright. I apologize for not being in the Netherrealm when—”

“Kuai Liang, stop. I told you to go back to Earthrealm.” Hanzo furrowed his brows. “This was D’Vorah’s doing. Not yours.”

“I could have been there to assist you. I want to make up for it in any way I can.” Kuai Liang wiped at his eyes. “I will not leave your side until you are healed one hundred percent. That is a promise to you, my dearest.”

Hanzo shook his head with a smile and reached out his hand towards him, pulling him towards the bed when Kuai Liang grasped it. “If you insist. Lay with me, my love.”

“What if I hurt you?”

“You could never.”

Kuai Liang rose to his feet and laid down on the bed next to Hanzo, snuggling up directly into his side with a sniffle. Hanzo wrapped an arm around his back and traced his hand along his spine. “You needn’t worry so much about me, my love… I am capable of surviving almost anything.”

“My dearest… do you not remember telling me that your time was near?”

“I must be honest… No.”

Kuai Liang laughed softly to himself. “The poison has left your brain scrambled.”

Hanzo leaned down and kissed his forehead. “I suppose so.” He laid back in the bed with a contented sigh. “I am fine now. Recovery is all that awaits us.

“What shall we do of Kronika and her forces?”

“Kronika can wait.” Hanzo glanced down with a small smile. “Let us enjoy… _us_ for a while. Just this once.”

Kuai Liang smiled in return and closed his eyes. “You know I am not opposed to spending some time with you. No intrusions, no one around, a comfortable bed… well, a semi-comfortable bed.”

Hanzo chuckled to himself. “We have earned every second of relaxation… though I could have not gotten injured.”

Kuai Liang snuggled closer to him and sighed softly. He was beyond grateful for every second with Hanzo, no matter how it was received. How did he become so lucky?


End file.
